Established in 2010, Asset Based Lending, LLC is a Hard Money Lender providing fast bridge financing to real estate investors for the purchase, renovation, or new construction of single family, multi-family and mixed use properties. We have closed over a 2100 loans since we began with total transaction amounts in excess of $500 million.

We come from a variety of backgrounds, but we are committed to:

Quickly communicating the likelihood of ABL funding a potential deal

Closing your deal on a short timeline

Efficiently delivering draw disbursements for the renovation or new construction of the property

Managing the payoff without complication

We strive every day to be Fast, Flexible, Reliable and Professional.

The ABL Difference

Underwriting Team

Daniel A Leyden

Co-Managing Partner

Daniel A Leyden

Co-Managing Partner

Dan Leyden is a senior financial professional with demonstrated business expertise and innovative leadership from over 25 years of real estate related securities and loan experience. Most recently, he was the COO for Golub Capital, a private equity firm that lends money to middle market companies.
From 2003-2009, Dan was the CFO and Partner of Highland Financial Holdings Group, a $2 billion mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities hedge fund. Prior to that, Dan was an Executive VP of UBS Investment Bank, and Senior VP of Paine Webber in their Capital Markets group. Dan holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Syracuse University.

Paul Ullman is a founder and Chief Investment Officer of Asset Based Lending. As a founder, Paul came to know what it takes to be a successful hard money lender, namely, helping people quickly and safely fund their deal. He also worked very hard to expand ABL’s brand of lending to a wider geographic area. Paul continues to take great pride in helping ABLs borrowers make money and improve neighborhoods. As CIO, Paul reviews the overall loan exposures for the company. Since 2010, ABL has closed 1800+ transactions totaling over $350mm.
Prior to ABL, Paul was President and Chief Investment Officer of Highland Financial Holdings Group, a New York City based investment management firm. Founded by him in 1998, Highland grew to over $2 billion in capital under management and specialized in managing mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities portfolios for a global clientele. In 1992, Paul co-founded the asset-backed security specialty investment management group at Alliance Capital Management, creating a new business, and over the next five years steered its growth to over $5 billion in assets under management. Paul began his career in the mortgage-backed security group at Salomon Brothers in 1982 and holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis.

Kevin Rodman joined Asset Based Lending as a partner in 2014, and brings 30 years’ experience in the mortgage industry to the ABL team. Along with Dan and Paul, Kevin is one of ABL’s three loan underwriters. Kevin is leading ABL’s expansion in New England, with a focus on Connecticut and Massachusetts. Kevin also works on building ABL’s strong capital base, which is one of the largest in the hard money lending industry.
Kevin began his career at Morgan Stanley, where he spent 25 years, and served in a variety of roles in the Firm’s securities and mortgage businesses. He was President of Morgan Stanley Home Loans, a retail mortgage business, and CEO of Saxon Mortgage, a Morgan Stanley subsidiary focused on mortgage servicing. Kevin was co-head of Morgan Stanley’s Prime and Alt-A mortgage conduit, which purchased and serviced mortgages from over 600 mortgage banks across the US. After leaving Morgan Stanley in 2008, Kevin held several senior management roles in the mortgage industry. Kevin holds a BA in Government from Clark University and a MS in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Eric’s extensive marketing experience began at a boutique marketing agency where he developed dozens of successful innovative marketing strategies for brands ranging from startups to Fortune 500s. Prior to joining Asset Based Lending early in 2016, Eric served as the US Chief Marketing Officer for a European enterprise software company where he spearheaded the company’s expansion into the United States and Canadian markets. In his current role, Eric leads ABL’s Sales and Marketing team that helps upwards of 40 to 50 real estate investors close hard money loans each month. A proud UConn Husky, he graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Economics and also holds a Master's degree in Global Marketing Management from Boston University.

Paul Lewis

Loan Officer, Area Manager

Paul Lewis

Loan Officer, Area Manager

Paul Lewis brings with him a wealth of knowledge in the world of specialty finance, especially alternative financing in the Florida market. In his career, he has closed in excess of $200M in commercial bridge financing, and north of $100M in specialty factoring. A native New Yorker, Paul has lived and worked in Florida for almost 10 years, where he has formed a solid network of real estate and finance professionals. Aside from finance, Paul has managed sales teams and mentored many sales people, from recent college grads, to young professionals transitioning from other industries. His approach to success is hinged on the success of his clients and their respective projects. Paul currently lives in the Palm Beach Area with his new wife, Kristen.

Susan Botros

Loan Officer

Susan Botros

Loan Officer

Prior to joining the ABL team, Susan worked as a lending consultant for a couple of large banks where she focused on commercial financing. Susan believed that working for a lender of that size caused the process to become disjointed, and lacked any human touch - which is where ABL came in. At ABL, things are different. Susan enjoys building in-depth relationships with her investors, and the flexibility to build a best-fit loan package for each individual borrower. Susan has been a student of real estate her entire life as a part of her family business, and holds a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing. Susan is also bilingual, speaking both English and Arabic.

Scott Davis

Loan Officer, Area Manager

Scott Davis

Loan Officer, Area Manager

A Navy veteran and former VP of Sales for a major cash flow factoring company, Scott joined ABL as the territory manager for MD, PA, VA, DC, and DE in 2018. Having managed million in assets with a nationwide territory in his previous role, Scott has perfected the art of delivering results in a fast-paced environment wile maintaining his easy-going personality. Scott enjoys getting out to local networking events, taking the opportunity to get to know his borrowers on both a personal and professional level. Scott holds a Bachelors of Business Administration and was born and raised in North Bethesda, MD, where he still resides with his wife and two sons.

Nik Gak

Loan Officer

Nik Gak

Loan Officer

Zak Blechman

Loan Officer

Zak Blechman

Loan Officer

After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a BS in Economics & Operations Management, Zak took on the role of Operations Manager & National Sales Executive for a premier manufacturer and distributor of Fire & Sprinkler products. It was during his time there that Zak honed his organizational and client relationship building skills, and discovered his interest in real estate. Wanting to align himself with a company in the real estate field that aligned with his core values, Zak sought out ABL after meeting other team members at a local meetup. As one of the Loan Officers responsible for the New Jersey lending area, Zak appreciates the ability to work with motivated investors across various backgrounds and experience levels that help him learn something new every day. When you work with Zak, you receive attention to detail, creative deal structures, and a partnership that helps grow your business.

Hannah Eareckson

Marketing Intern

Hannah Eareckson

Marketing Intern

Hannah Eareckson graduated from Rice University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Managerial Studies. During her two years at ABL, she has contributed extensively to the company’s borrower resources, producing multiple reports analyzing local real estate markets and an e-book with stories from actual investors. Starting in the fall of 2019, she will pursue a PhD in Social Psychology from NYU.

Operations Team

Adam Cohen

Chief Financial Officer

Adam Cohen

Chief Financial Officer

ABL’s controller, Adam Cohen, has over ten years of buy side operational and accounting experience in the finance industry. He received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Business and a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics from Skidmore College. Prior to joining the firm in 2015, Adam worked for HBMJ Consulting specializing in software implementation and integration, and spent three years at Cerberus Capital Management managing the Private Equity and Real Estate operations department. Additional prior experience includes Shumway Capital Partners as an Operations Associate and Trader’s Assistant and US Bank Fund Services division fka Alternative Investment Solutions as Vice President of Operations.

Jennie Daniels

Vice President of Operations

Jennie Daniels

Vice President of Operations

Jennie joined ABL in 2013 as the company’s only Loan Processor. Over the 2 years since her hire, Jennie has helped drive exponential growth for ABL and now as Vice President of Loan Operations, oversees all loan processing activities. Before joining ABL, Jennie brings a decade of Mortgage Operations experience. Jennie holds an Undergraduate degree in Accounting and a MBA from Niagara University.

Mike Basciano

Assistant Vice President

Mike Basciano

Assistant Vice President

Michael is ABL’s Accounting/Operations Analyst. He graduated from The University of Rhode Island in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and concentration in Accounting. Prior to joining ABL in August 2015, Michael spent 3 years in the construction management industry working for a small general contractor in New York City. Here he gained experience in both project and financial management.